Harrison's Reports (1950)

HARRISON'S REPORTS April 22, 1950 "A Ticket to Tomahawk" with Anne Baxter and Dan Dailey (20th Century-Fox, May; time, 90 min.) Here is a highly enjoyable big-scale western in Techni' color, different enough to satisfy not only the action fans but also those who ordinarily do not go out of their way to see pictures of this type. The story has all the standard ingredients of the usual western plot, but what makes it different is the clever treatment, which ranges from burlesque to satire without affecting the melodramatic thrills, of which there are plenty. Dan Dailey, as a traveling salesman who becomes involved with villainous stagecoach operators trying to prevent a new railroad from establishing its franchise, and Anne Baxter, as a sure-shot deputy sheriff protecting the railroad, get the most out of their amusing characterizations and keep the audience chuckling throughout. Walter Brennan, as the train engineer, turns in his usual good performance. The production values are lavish and the color photography exceptionally good. The action takes place in the 1880's: — Dailey, the only passenger on a Tomahawk and Western train making its initial run, becomes innocently involved with two desperadoes hired by Mauritz Hugo, a stagecoach operator, who was determined to keep the train from reaching Tomahawk within a stipulated time in order that its franchise be forfeited. Making his way to the town of Epitaph to report an unsuccessful attempt to wreck the train, Dailey is taken for a bad man by Anne Baxter, the sheriff's granddaughter, who orders him to get out of town by sundown. Meanwhile the train reached Epitaph, and Walter Brennan, the engineer, discovers that there is no track for the next forty miles, to a point several miles from Tomahawk, the terminal. Deputized by her grandfather as a U. S. Marshal, Anne organizes a 20-mulcteam wagon train to haul the engine and other equipment over the trackless right-of-way. When it is learned that the franchise required that a paying passenger be carried, Dailey is compelled to go along. Rory Calhoun, secretly in league with Hugo, attaches himself to the mule train as an outrider. Calhoun's machinations, coupled with Indian attacks incited by Hugo, keep the mule train in plenty of hot water, but Dailey saves the situation when he learns that the Indian chief is an old friend, with whom he had once appeared in a wild west show. He wins the cooperation of the Indians, and they help to bring the railroad engine to its destination, where it is re-assembled and put on the track leading to Tomahawk. By this time Anne discovers the truth about Calhoun. To save himself, Calhoun leaps aboard the steaming engine and takes off. Anne and Dailey give chase, board the engine and, after a desperate fight, toss Calhoun from the engine to his death. Meanwhile bullet holes cause the water to run out of the engine's boiler, and it comes to a stop just outside of the town line of Tomahawk. With but a few minutes to make good the franchise, Dailey induces the mayor to extend the town line to the rear end of the engine. He also induces Anne to become his bride. It was produced by Robert Bassler and directed by Rich' ard Sale, who wrote the original screen play with Mary Loos. Fine for the family. "Harbor of Missing Men" with Richard Denning and Barbra Fuller (Republic, March 26; time, 60 min.) This measures up as a pretty good melodrama for the action trade. Based on a crook-regeneration theme, the story is rather far-fetched and somewhat wildly melodramatic, but it unfolds with sufficient speed, excitement and intrigue to hold one's attention throughout. There is considerable suspense because of the constant danger to the hero, falsely suspected of a double-cross by the head of the smuggling ring. There is human interest in the manner in which the hero is befriended by a Greek fisherman and his family. A good part of the action takes place at sea. The 6ponge-fishing sequences are highly interesting. The direction and acting are good, and the photography sharp and clear: — Richard Denning, a fishing boat owner, works a profit able diamond smuggling racket between Cuba and Key West. His activities become known to George Zucco, an unscrupulous business man, who blackmails him into agreeing to deliver to the captain of a foreign ship a boatload of contraband firearms, for which he was to collect $30,000 in cash and keep $2,000. Barbra Fuller, Zucco's secretary, and Ray Teal, her brother, manage to get aboard Denning's boat and hijack the money from him. Denning escapes from them by jumping into the sea, miles from the mainland, and he is left by them to drown. They beach his ship, making it appear as if he had absconded with the money. Meanwhile Denning is picked up by a sponge-fishing boat owned by Steven Geray, a Greek fisherman from Tarpon Springs, who gives him sanctuary in his home. He is trailed to Tarpon Springs by two of Zucco's henchmen, and barely escapes being shot to death by them. In due time Denning falls in love with Aline Towne, Geray's daughter, and he determines to conclude his nefarious business affairs and settle matters with Zucco who, because of Barbra's clever manipulations, still believed that he had stolen the money. He borrows Geray's boat, sails to Key West and, after getting both Zucco and Barbra aboard the craft, compels her to admit that she and her brother, Ray, had hijacked the money. Ray, hiding aboard the ship, suddenly appears with a gun in his hand. In the ensuing fight both Ray and Zucco are killed, while Barbra is subdued by Denning. With Aline promising to wait for him, Denning prepares to pay his debt to society. It was produced by Sidney Picker and directed by R. G. Springsteen from a screen play by John K. Butler. Suitable for the family. "Customs Agent" with William Eythe and Marjorie Reynolds (Columbia, May 18; time, 72 min.) A fair program melodrama. The story is the moss-covered one about an undercover government agent who becomes a member of a dope-smuggling ring to unmask the clever leader. There is little about its presentation that is novel, and parts of it are a bit too talky, but on the whole it contains enough melodramatic ingredients to pass muster with the undiscriminating action fans. The direction is adequate and, although there is nothing outstanding about the acting, the players go through their chores in acceptable fashion. It should serve its purpose as the lower half of a double bill: — William Eythe, a U. S. Customs agent, is given the chore of becoming a member of a gang of American smugglers who had been flooding the Chinese market with watered streptomycin, and of learning the identity of their secret leader. He is "dismissed" from the service for "negligence of duty" and, by going on a deliberate drunken spree, pretends to go to pot. Before long Howard S. John, one of the gang's ringleaders, approaches Eythe with a proposition to join the gang. He accepts after proper hesitation. Griff Barnett, an American business man in Shanghai who knew Eythe's father, urges Eythe to give up his connection with St. John, but Eythe refuses. His first assignment is to transport a load of narcotics concealed in his luggage back to the United States. During the trip he meets Marjorie Reynolds, another member of the gang. Aware that both Marjorie and St. John were putting him through a test, Eythe, with the cooperation of his Customs colleagues, smuggles the narcotics into the United States and then goes into hiding to give the gang the impression that he was trying to keep the profits from the narcotics for himself. This move convinces the secret leader, who turns out to be none other than Barnett, that Eythe had made a clean break with the law. He hunts down Eythe and offers him a special smuggling deal in return for one third of the profits. Eythe accepts the proposition and immediately informs the Customs Bureau of the plan. The officials are then enabled to close in on the gang and capture them. It was produced by Rudolph C. Flothow and directed by Seymour Friedman from a screen play by Russell S. Hughes and Malcolm S. Boylan, based on a story by Hal Smith. Unobjectionable morally.